Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.6
2.7
Journals
Crystals
Special Issues
Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals
share announcement

Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Organic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2022) | Viewed by 8900

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Fei Tong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
Interests: molecular crystals; crystal engineering; photochemistry; photoresponsive materials
Prof. Dr. Rabih O. Al-Kaysi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Science and Health Professions-3124, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, and King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Minstry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Interests: small molecule synthesis; photochemistry; photoresponsive materials; crystal engineering
Prof. Dr. Daichi Kitagawa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
Interests: organic photochemistry; photochromism; photomechanical materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The symmetry, faceted nature, and vibrant colours of organic crystals are unparalleled in beauty. In the hands of a capable crystallographer, these crystals can reveal a hidden treasure trove of information relating to their structure and composition. These crystals are considered too brittle and fragile for practical applications. However, the need to manufacture thinner, flexible, and wearable electronic devices has shifted attention towards organic molecules that show unique properties in the condensed or crystalline state. Recently, researchers discovered that micron-sized crystals can have elastic or plastic properties and can even be used as active waveguides capable of transmitting coded information. Of special interest is the emergence of the so-called photomechanical or photoresponsive molecular crystals. These crystals are composed of photoresponsive molecules (chromophores) that can convert light to chemical energy via bond breaking/bond forming. When the chromophores are aligned in a favourable geometry (crystal engineering), stimulating these crystals with light leads to the amplification of the invisible Angstrom (Å) level molecular motion to an observable effect that perturbs the shape of the entire crystal. This perturbation or photomechanical response can take on many forms depending on the chemical composition, size, shape, and crystal packing. In many cases, a photosalient response is observed wherein the crystal shatters violently to relieve built-up stress between the reactant and photoproduct phase. Through clever engineering of the crystal habit, size, functional groups, and photochemistry, we can make photomechanical crystals that relieve photochemical stress build-up by bending, twisting, curling, peeling, jumping, crawling, or wiggling, etc. When the crystal is made up of a photoisomerizable chromophore such as diaryl ethenes, azobenzenes or anthracene diolefins crystals can function as light-activated actuators, toggling between different shapes as a function of the wavelength and direction of light used. Photomechanical crystals have been steadily gaining momentum over the past decade with new mechanisms being investigated to help improve the quantum yield, work output, and response speed.

We invite scientists and researchers to contribute to this Special Issue of Crystals entitled “Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals”. This Issue aims to build a contemporary collection of recent pioneering work and advances in the field of photoresponsive molecular crystals, involving molecular structure design, crystal engineering, material fabrication, and potential applications. We hope to shed light on the potential use of these “smart” crystals in real-world applications by incorporating material engineering and machine learning.

Prof. Dr. Fei Tong
Prof. Dr. Rabih O. Al-Kaysi
Prof. Dr. Daichi Kitagawa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • molecular crystals
  • crystal engineering
  • photochromism
  • photoresponsive crystals
  • organic photochemistry
  • photomechanical crystals
  • crystal growth
  • functional crystals
  • intermolecular interactions
  • chromophores

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research

2 pages, 171 KiB  
Editorial
Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals
by Fei Tong, Rabih O. Al-Kaysi and Daichi Kitagawa
Crystals 2023, 13(2), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13020196 - 22 Jan 2023
Viewed by 979
Abstract
The Special Issue on “Photoresponsive Molecular Crystals” is a collection of four original research articles dedicated to theoretical and experimental research works providing new insights and experimental findings in the field of photoresponsive crystals [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

11 pages, 2458 KiB  
Article
Controllable Fabrication of Organic Cocrystals with Interior Hollow Structure Based on Donor-Acceptor Charge Transfer Molecules
by Yuhao Li, Peiyao Wang, Zhongzhao Duan, Tianle Zhang and Fei Tong
Crystals 2022, 12(12), 1781; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12121781 - 08 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1552
Abstract
Fluorescent hollow organic molecular cocrystals comprised of (E)-4-(2(anthracen-9-yl)vinyl)pyridine-1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (APE-TCNB) were prepared via a surfactant-mediated co-precipitation method. The size and morphology of these cocrystals could be easily tuned by varying the type and concentration of the surfactant, incubation time, and temperature. Moreover, optical fluorescence [...] Read more.
Fluorescent hollow organic molecular cocrystals comprised of (E)-4-(2(anthracen-9-yl)vinyl)pyridine-1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (APE-TCNB) were prepared via a surfactant-mediated co-precipitation method. The size and morphology of these cocrystals could be easily tuned by varying the type and concentration of the surfactant, incubation time, and temperature. Moreover, optical fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy characterization indicated that the APE-TCNB microcrystals contained two symmetric empty cavities when 3-(N, N-dimethyldodecylammonio)propane sulfonate (BS12) was used as the surfactant. The cross-polarized microscope and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) measurements both showed that the prepared microcrystals exhibited high crystallinity. APE and TCNB molecules were found to align parallelly along the crystallographic a-axis in the crystal lattice, and the strong π–π intermolecular interactions facilitated the formation of unique crystal chambers. A series of measurements and characterization, including UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, steady-state, and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, also verified that strong charge–transfer (CT) interactions had been established in the APE-TCNB microcrystals. Moreover, these APE-TCNB microcrystals could emit bright red luminescence, which extended to the near-infrared region (~800 nm), displaying a strong charge-transfer property. Here, we have shown a general facile way to make organic cocrystals with complex structures and topologies using a self-assembly method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1335 KiB  
Article
Multicolor Photochromism of Two-Component Diarylethene Crystals Containing Oxidized and Unoxidized Benzothiophene Groups
by Ryo Nishimura, Yurika Nagakawa and Masakazu Morimoto
Crystals 2022, 12(12), 1730; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12121730 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1568
Abstract
Preparing mixed crystals composed of two or more components is one of the useful approaches to not only modifying the physical properties and chemical reactivity of molecular crystals but also creating their novel functionality. Here we report preparation and photoresponsive properties of two-component [...] Read more.
Preparing mixed crystals composed of two or more components is one of the useful approaches to not only modifying the physical properties and chemical reactivity of molecular crystals but also creating their novel functionality. Here we report preparation and photoresponsive properties of two-component mixed crystals containing photochromic bis(benzothienyl)ethene derivatives that show different colors in the closed-ring forms depending on the oxidation state of the benzothiophene groups. The similarity in the molecular structures of the two diarylethenes, which are different from each other only in the oxidation state of the benzothiophene groups, allowed the formation of two-component mixed crystals by recrystallization from mixed solutions containing the two compounds. Irradiating the mixed crystals with light of appropriate wavelengths induced the selective photoisomerizaion of the two diarylethenes, leading to multicolor photochromic performance, such as colorless, orange, yellow, and red. Such molecular crystals with multiresponsive functions can find potential applications in multistate optical recording and multicolor displays. The present results demonstrate that combining differently oxidized diarylethene derivatives is an effective strategy for preparing multicomponent mixed crystals with finely tuned composition and desired photoresponsive properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 9511 KiB  
Article
Photomechanical Structures Based on Porous Alumina Templates Filled with 9-Methylanthracene Nanowires
by Adam J. Berges, Wangxiang Li, Wenwen Xu, Fei Tong, Rabih O. Al-Kaysi, Ryan C. Hayward and Christopher J. Bardeen
Crystals 2022, 12(6), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12060808 - 08 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1754
Abstract
9-Methylanthracene (9MA) undergoes a concerted [4 + 4] photodimerization in its crystal form that can be harnessed in order to generate photomechanical motions such as bending, twisting, and expansion. As described in this paper, 9MA nanowires were grown in anodic aluminum [...] Read more.
9-Methylanthracene (9MA) undergoes a concerted [4 + 4] photodimerization in its crystal form that can be harnessed in order to generate photomechanical motions such as bending, twisting, and expansion. As described in this paper, 9MA nanowires were grown in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates with the goal of using the crystal expansion to generate a net increase in the height of the composite disk. The growth conditions were optimized in order to raise the filling amount from 28% to 77% of the available volume in the porous AAO. A new experimental method for detecting motion, based on the analysis of data from a dynamically misaligned Michelson interferometer, was developed. Template bending was observed, showing that the photodimerization of the confined nanowires generated mechanical work, but no conclusive evidence for surface disruption or vertical translation was observed. Optical measurements, as well as atomic force and scanning electron microscopy, showed that incomplete filling, crystal orientation, and debris from template polishing likely prevented the observation of vertical actuation in these nanocrystal composites. This work highlights some of the practical challenges that are involved in creating photomechanical actuators using the organic–inorganic composite approach, with the two most significant being (1) the uniform filling of the porous template with the organic active material and (2) the removal of excess organic material from the template’s surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 7419 KiB  
Article
Four-Coordinate Monoboron Complexes with 8-Hydroxyquinolin-5-Sulfonate: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, Theoretical Studies, and Luminescence Properties
by Glenda Y. Ruelas-Álvarez, A. Jaquelin Cárdenas-Valenzuela, Luis L. Galaviz-Moreno, Adriana Cruz-Enríquez, José J. Campos-Gaxiola, Herbert Höpfl, Jesús Baldenebro-López, Eva C. Vargas-Olvera, Valentín Miranda-Soto, Blanca A. García Grajeda and Daniel Glossman-Mitnik
Crystals 2022, 12(6), 783; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst12060783 - 28 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1957
Abstract
8-Hydroxyquinolin-5-sulfonic acid (8HQSA) was combined with 3-pyridineboronic acid (3PBA) or 4-pyridineboronic acid (4PBA) to give two zwitterionic monoboron complexes in crystalline form. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, and IR, 1H NMR, UV-Visible, and luminescence spectroscopy. The [...] Read more.
8-Hydroxyquinolin-5-sulfonic acid (8HQSA) was combined with 3-pyridineboronic acid (3PBA) or 4-pyridineboronic acid (4PBA) to give two zwitterionic monoboron complexes in crystalline form. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, and IR, 1H NMR, UV-Visible, and luminescence spectroscopy. The analyses revealed compounds with boron atoms adopting tetrahedral geometry. In the solid state, the molecular components are linked by charge-assisted (B)(O−H⋯−O(S) and N+−H⋯O(S) hydrogen bonds aside from C−H⋯O contacts and π⋯π interactions, as shown by Hirshfeld surface analyses and 2D fingerprint plots. The luminescence properties were characterized in terms of the emission behavior in solution and the solid state, showing emission in the bluish-green region in solution and large positive solvatofluorochromism, caused by intramolecular charge transfer. According to TD-DFT calculations at the M06-2X/6-31G(d) level of theory simulating an ethanol solvent environment, the emission properties are originated from π-π * and n-π * HOMO-LUMO transitions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photoresponsive Organic Molecular Crystals)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop